A number of different mechanisms have been used to brace the cap of a casket in an upright, open position relative to the shell or body of the casket. Prior designs have generally included a relatively large number of parts and have been relatively complicated. Further, many of the prior designs have been fabricated from metal. Metal casket cap brace mechanisms are not desirable, however, for caskets which are to encounter the cremation process as the metal parts do not combust.
One prior combustible casket cap brace support includes a wooden C-shaped bracket affixed to an interior side wall of the body of the casket, and a wooden brace member pivoted on one end to the casket cap and including a protuberance on the other end. The brace member is received between the inner wall of the body of the casket and the web wall of the C-shaped bracket which interconnects the side walls of the bracket. When the cap is pivoted from the closed position to the open position, the brace member travels upwardly relative to the bracket until the protuberance on the lower end of the brace member contacts the bottom edge of the bracket. The length of the brace member and the location of the attachment points of the brace member to the cap and the bracket to the body are such that at the point the protuberance contacts the bottom edge of the bracket the cap center of gravity has gone over center of its hinge axis, i.e., the axis of pivoting between the cap and the body. Thus, the brace member is maintained in tension with the brace member protuberance in engagement with and restrained by the lower edge of the bracket and with the weight of the cap applying an axial tension force on the brace member on the other end. The cap is of course restrained from further pivoting by the brace member.
One problem associated with this crematable cap brace and bracket is that if the body of the casket or the casket cap is accidentally bumped, it is possible for the cap to inadvertently close which of course can be disruptive and is generally undesirable. Such is possible since only so much of a disturbance to the casket is required which would cause the cap weight to move back over center, at which time the brace member would be free to travel completely downwardly through the bracket in which case the cap would not be restrained and would simply fall until closing atop the casket body.
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide an improved combustible casket cap brace support which positively maintains the cap in the open position and which is resistant to inadvertent closing of the cap in the event that the casket cap or body is accidentally bumped.